California Typewriter
Doug Nichol's documentary about typewriter mania is a piece of analog nostalgia that's in thrall to what digital culture has lost.
5 November 1943, Fort Sheridan, Illinois, USA
7 July 1933, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
9 July 1956, Concord, California, USA
16 October 1977, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA
October 25, 2017
If California Typewriter slightly overstays its welcome, as Nichol pushes past a natural end point to make the case for manual typewriters as the new vinyl... well, that seems somehow appropriate, too. Love has a way of blinding us to reality, after all.September 29, 2017
... a retro-fun salute to the analog age and a thoughtful consideration of how digital technology affects our lives.September 29, 2017
A love letter to the outdated, be it typewriters, thank you notes, mom and pop repair shops, or creativity that doesn't start with turning a computer on first.November 08, 2017
The questions this documentary raises, in between all the human stories and history it teaches, will definitely haunt you as the credits roll.September 14, 2017
The best thing is that Nichol doesn't adopt a luddite stance. He doesn't try to impart the evils of technology, at least not much.November 10, 2017
California Typewriter is a nostalgic documentary that will make you think about what life was like in the days before computers, smart phones, and the internet.September 07, 2017
Although the film would benefit from a more reined-in focus, "California Typewriter" is a love letter to an antiquated device - one that retains its charm and utility even in the digital age.October 27, 2017
I enjoyed this film about typewriters so much that I feel guilty writing this review on a computer instead of a Smith Corona.October 25, 2017
A love story that clacks!September 21, 2017
Suffusing the documentary is an almost religious reverence for this mundane and obsolete mechanical apparatus. Not that it's undeserved.August 31, 2017
A rich, thoughtful, meticulously crafted tapestry about the evolution of the beloved writing machine for purists, history buffs, collectors and others fighting to preserve or re-embrace analog life.October 27, 2017
There are two ready-made audiences for this doc and both will benefit from seeing it.